Friday, November 11, 2011

Many Consider 11/11/11 a Lucky Day

The Republic: From casinos to wedding chapels, Oklahomans are feeling the luck of 11.

Friday is the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011. Several Oklahoma casinos are hoping the rare alignment of numbers — 11-11-11 — will lure in players, though it's also proving to be a popular wedding date.

The Lucky Star Casino in El Reno will hold $11,000 cash drawings for 11 hours, while the Riverwind Casino in Norman is giving away $11,000 in cash and prizes from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Oklahoma City's Remington Park racetrack and casino will give away a cash prize of $1,111.11 following the last race.

Riverwind has seen a spike in attendance on other dates with the day, month and year with the same numerals, according to the casino.

"It just lends to our customers' belief that this is a change of events that's going to be a windfall for them," Riverwind general manager Jack Parkinson said. "We like to cater to them. We like to make it fun."

Remington Park sponsored similar promotions on July 7, 2007 — 7-7-7 — and "people really got behind it and came out for it," spokesman Dale Day said, adding that veterans and active-duty military personnel with receive $11 of free play at the track, since Friday is also Veterans Day.

"We try to play on the calendar numbers," he said. "When it falls in our favor, we normally try to do something with it. It's a special, fun thing to do."

But the hope of good fortune isn't just among gamblers.

At the Arbuckle Wedding Chapel near Davis, seven couples are scheduled to exchange vows Friday. Owner and wedding coordinator Joan Bratcher said that many bookings in one day "is unbelievable." One couple booked their wedding just Thursday morning, though others were scheduled weeks or months ahead of time, she said.

"Every one of them has said they thought that would be such a perfect time," she said. "It is such a great wedding date."

Except maybe for one couple. Bratcher said a large wedding she had booked for Friday night cancelled.

"I had one huge one tomorrow night. And they broke up," she said Thursday. "It was not lucky for them."

It was other coincidences of the date that initially prompted Tulsa residents Russell LaCour and Jennifer Torain to pick the day to tie the knot.

"It is my birthday on Nov. 11 and it also happened to be her late father's birthday as well," LaCour said. "She just happened to suggest that day. It's just amazing."

The couple is now planning to take advantage of the 11-11-11 date: Their ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:11 a.m.

"I don't think luck has anything to do with it at all," Torain said. "We knew we were going to get married. We were looking for a day. I just believe it was God-ordained."